Monday, March 7, 2011

Host Family and my 1st Bump In The Road

I just finished lunch and have been advised that I'll be going to Nkomeko. That is the village where I'll meet Mercy Edward, which appears that my host mom is a single parent. Quite honestly I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. It's weird b/c I dont' have much communication with the world I left behind but last night I made an amazing connection with the world in which I'm living. My group conducted a talent show and as participation by our trainers, who are Malawian Locals, they sang us their national anthem. I had a tear in my eye b/c although I had no clue what they were saying, they sang it with great pride. It just hit me all at once that I'm really a foreigner and what is traditional and customary conduct for them is their "normal". I think from afar, living in America and ingesting too much T.V., that often times it's easy to criticize or wrinkle the brow about other lands but when you get there and experience it, I'm the weird one. In any event, in return we sang our national anthem for them and it was a great moment #CulturalExchange

After the events of the beginning of the evening, once pitch blackness had fallen upon us we all gathered at the Futbol field, turned out the flashlights & head lamps and looked at the most amazing night sky I had ever seen. It was like sitting in 3 planetariums at one time. I never saw anything like it. I saw the southern cross and conselations I had never dreamt of beholding with my one good eye :) To close out the evening we joined some of the locals for dancing #TheBestNightEver

I have reached my 1st Bump in The Road here in Malawi which has brought me to the capital (Lilongwe) where our PC Headquarters are. I don't have very many details b/c Washington, DC has not yet started their work day but by being here I have a medical hold in which I'm under. No I'm not sick at all so hopefully no one worries about sickness because I'm making it clear that I AM NOT SICK :)  But there has to be a discussion that would be in the best interest of a "worst case scenario" for the well being of my health where Malaria is concerned. Everyone here in Malawi is attentive to this detail and I hope to have more information either later today or tomorrow #PatientlyWaiting ...send prayers up for the kid, pretty please